Specialising in advising foreign investors, Atsumi & Sakai is top of the market in assisting offshore funds in their engagements with Japanese target companies. The firm combines this expertise with strengths in litigation, regulation and governance matters. Other work includes advising on J-REITS, silent partnerships, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital. Akio Kawamura focuses on regulatory counselling for financial institutions and fund managers, cross border investments in Japanese companies and capital markets, as well as investigations and enforcement issues. He co-leads the team with fund structure, investment and formation expert Eiichiro Hata and Ryuichi Nozaki, whose expertise includes asset management, cross-border investments, banking and structured finance.
Who we are
Atsumi & Sakai is a full-service Tokyo-based law firm; we operate as a foreign law joint venture, which enables us to admit foreign lawyers as partners and so offer our clients a combination of Japanese expertise and real international experience, all with the quality of service that the modern international business community demands.
Full-service
Building from a base as one of Japan’s leading finance practices, Atsumi & Sakai has expanded rapidly over the last 10 years and now offers a full range of legal services across all business areas through a team of over 200 lawyers, including 23 foreign partners and associates. We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to developing areas of law and to deal with issues where no precedent exists.
International
Cross-border work now comprises a significant part of our practice, acting for Japanese companies overseas and foreign companies doing business in Japan. In addition to our Tokyo head-office, we have offices in New York and London, and associated offices in Frankfurt and Vietnam providing quality services effectively around the clock. Most of our Japanese lawyers can conduct business, and draft and negotiate in English, and many have experience of working in the overseas offices of leading global law firms. We also have a team of foreign partners and other lawyers with significant international experience.
Award-winning
Recent Awards
Diversity & Inclusion
Asian Legal Business (ALB) “Employer of Choice” – Awarded 8 times, more than any other law firm in Japan
Euromoney Legal Media Group “Asia Women in Business Law Awards – Best Firm in Japan 2011”
Daini Tokyo Bar Association’s first “Family Friendly Award”
Asian Legal Business (ALB) Japan Law Award 2017 “Woman Lawyer of the Year”
Asian Legal Business (ALB) Japan Law Award 2019 “Managing Partner of the Year”
Asian Legal Business (ALB) Japan Law Awards 2018, 2019 & 2020 “Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year”
Asian Legal Business (ALB) Japan Law Award 2021 “Foreign Lawyer of the Year”
Asian Legal Business (ALB) Asia‘s Top 15 Female Lawyers 2021 & 2022 – Selected as one of the 15 lawyers (as the only lawyer from Japan)
Chambers Global 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 Leading Firm – International & Cross-Border Capabilities
IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2022 – One of our attorneys was selected as one of the 8 most prominent women lawyers in Japan
ALB Japan D&I List 2022 – Selected as one of the ten law firms in Japan
Source: https://www.aplawjapan.com/en
